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Pharmacy support staff are often the first healthcare professionals that people turn to for advice about pain, so up-to-date knowledge on various pain management options, including the right advice and guidance to safeguard responsible use, is essential.
Perrigo UK’s new ‘Pain Code’ offers a simple approach to dealing with customer interactions about pain management. It works with existing protocols such as WWHAM. The code contains three short modules to help guide conversations and identify patients that might need more support.
The modules are based on a traffic light system:
- Module 1: GREEN – when you feel there is no concern of misuse of a pain relief product then the green approach can be adopted, keeping in mind the importance of educating the consumer of the three-day use limit (and why)
- Module 2: AMBER – when you feel a customer is unsure of their analgesics use or they are only getting partial pain relief from their OTC treatment. These customers need further advice and guidance. It may be appropriate to address potential concerns of misuse too
- Module 3: RED – if your discussion with a customer reveals significant concerns that they may be misusing or becoming dependent on their pain relief and are likely to benefit from an intervention which may involve the pharmacist or their GP.
“As manufacturers we feel that we have equal responsibility to do everything necessary to ensure safe consumption of OTC pain management products,” says Perrigo UK vice president and general manager, Richard Holme. “We hope that our newly developed Pain Code training will help equip pharmacy teams with the necessary skills to be able to guide (sometimes difficult) conversations with customers.”
